Around the World in 8 Stories: November 26th, 2012

Donning a homemade giraffe costume, 32 year-old Armstrong Baillie has enjoyed biweekly, public romps of goodwill over the past six months.

Presently unemployed, the Scottish man has been spotted from Edinburgh to Glasgow playing his drum and kazoo to make money for random acts of kindness, including picking up trash, distributing free coffee, and giving gifts to children in need.

“It would be good to get sponsors so I could make this my full-time occupation,” he explained to HuffPost UK.

Rogue planetmoseys along in the galaxy

A team of Hawaiian, French, and Canadian scientists recently spotted a “rogue” planet in the galaxy, devoid of a star to orbit. The sighting marks the first time an alleged “free-floating” planet has been observed without severe light interference.

The planet, named CFBDSIR2149, is believed to be part of the AB Doradus Moving Group, a collection of young stars, and offers astronomers a unique research opportunity.

Women refused abortion, dies in Irish hospital

Towards October’s end, a young Indian woman passed away in an Irish hospital after being denied an induced labour, a procedure which her husband claims would have “saved her life.”

SavitaHalappanavar, 31, experienced excruciating back pain while pregnant. As the pain grew, she requested that her pregnancy be induced. Staff at University Hospital Galway refused as the fetus was alive, making such a procedure illegal in a “Catholic country.” The fetal heartbeat stopped four days before his or her mother’s death.A post-mortem examination revealed that the young woman had died from septicaemia.

Prior to her illness, the young woman was reportedly very excited about having her first-born and starting a family.

Many killed in attacks between Israel and Palestine

Last week, rockets were deployed from Gaza by the Palestinian military organisation, Hamas, targeting Tel Aviv. Israel retaliated with tanks and naval gunboats and Hamas’s leader,Ahmed Jabari, was assassinated during the conflict. The Israeli Military Defence posted a video of the killing on their social media sites in an attempt to infuriate the opposition.

Palestine-Israeli conflicts may have appeared to calm during the past four years, but this recent attack is believed to have opened old wounds. Horrid violence has unravelled in the area, killing many civilians.

UN declares contraception to be a human right

The United Nations recently declared access to contraception as a universal human right. This announcement marked the first time the UN’s annual Population Fund report made reference to “family planning” as a human right.

This recent document affirms that contraception has the potential to enhance the lives of women and children in poor countries and that any effort or barrier preventing its access is an “infringement of women’s rights.”

Student sues Concordia University over B+

A Concordia University student is filing a law suit after his A- in a course on energy policy was decreased to a B+. The mark was allegedly changed because only a quarter of his class was permitted to receive A’s, as per university policy.

The student recalled how, after emailing his professor to ask about the reduction, he received a lengthy explanation detailing how four students who had achieved an A- had to be dropped to a B+ to meet the “A quota” enforced by the department chair.

After continuing to probe for an explanation from his professor and political science chair, the unsatisfied student demanded a refund for course costs of $343. He recently filed a lawsuit under a small claims court.

Pot dealer donates proceeds to help Hurricane Sandy survivors

Recently, an anonymous pot dealer with a big heart donated $700 to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy, many of whom are still lacking basic necessities. He confirmed to HuffPost Crimethat the proceeds were indeed made from dealing drugs.

“I was going to work regardless, and now I felt like I was doing it with purpose,” he explained.“I’m not doing what I do in order to get rich or create some super marijuana empire. I’m trying to help, and this is my job.”

The dealer, from Brooklyn, NY, began to fundraise after seeing the wreckage left by the destruction of 80 something homes along Breezy Point, NY.

Google vs. Doogle

23year-old AndriesMaree Van Der Merwe recently received an ominous letter from internet giant Google Inc. The multibillion-dollar corporation threatened the young South African with legal action because his website’s name, “Doogle”, and its logo, are too similar to its own. Van Der Merwe created his website to assist job seekers while enjoying a profit himself, and originally set it up on a computer bought at a pawn shop. According to the entrepreneur, the name just “popped into his head,” and the idea was prompted by the many unemployed persons he met while selling newspapers on street corners.

Van Der Merwe intends to fight any future lawsuits, a situation his lawyer has likened to “David vs. Goliath,” as reported by The Guardian.